Contents

Précis

An away team finds a kino beside a Stargate on a jungle world, which contains video footage of the team that was shot prior to their arrival. Then, an illness cripples the team, forcing them to quarantine themselves on the planet.

MGM/Syfy.com Official Summary

Visiting a newly discovered jungle planet, the crew is amazed to recover a Kino by the gate. Downloading the Kino data, Eli discovers video of the team, which appears to have been shot during an earlier visit. The mystery of the video's origin becomes a secondary concern as members of the team start falling ill. Unable to return to the Destiny for fear of spreading the infection, the team sets up camp in the jungle to try to isolate the infection there. Little do they know that, when night falls, the illness will be the least of their worries.

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Production Notes

"Well, back in the office today where we spun what will be episode #7. It made sense for it to follow the events of Earth, so we moved it up and shifted the other episodes. For those of you worried, fear not. The mid-season two-parter will still fall in the mid-season two-parter slot." — Joseph Mallozzi (January 30, 2009)

"Rob has had his hands full, dealing with prep issues, but, in the interim, has been spinning episode #7 in his head. This one promises to be a lot of WTF?! fun." — Joseph Mallozzi (February 12, 2009)

"Anyway, as lunch was wrapping up, Rob started pitching the new ending for his episode, Time, going over the story in great detail and working up to the big pay-off. 'It’s pretty radical,' he assured us in the build-up. 'Really,' I asked. 'Will it blow my mind?' 'Actually, it will,' was his response. And, you know what? It did! Holy shit! This is going to be a terrific episode!" — Joseph Mallozzi (March 16, 2009) [edited for "spelling"]

"Hey, I read the first draft of Time yesterday (Rob apparently wrote it during his free time driving to and from work every day) and it is brilliant. Now “brilliant” is a word I tend to reserve for works of supreme magnificence like Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” or my Aunt Fannie’s Russian Teacakes, but it applies here to a script that is, without a doubt, the very best of its kind. It’s delightfully intricate and thoroughly engaging, full of surprising twists and heart-rending character moments." — Joseph Mallozzi (April 21, 2009)

"Robert Cooper is working on his producer’s cut of Earth and is awaiting notes on his brilliant script for Time as his prep week approaches." — Joseph Mallozzi (April 23, 2009)

"Time" was moved to become Episode 8, (May 4, 2009)

"Next up is Time [to be filmed]." — Joseph Mallozzi (May 11, 2009)

Major D. Davis writes: "How is time going? Almost done?" Answer: "Stage 1 is looking awesome ahead of production. The episode is still in prep." — Joseph Mallozzi (May 19, 2009)

"Well, it was beautiful, sunny and warm outdoors today, but overcast, dark, and rainy indoors. Specifically, I refer to the indoors of Stage 1 where Writer/Executive Producer/Series Creator/Master Chef Robert C. Cooper was directing Mayhem Day on the latest Stargate: Universe episode – Time. ... Carl and I headed back down and I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon in the jungles of Stage 1, snapping TONS of pics – which, of course, I can’t show you. You’ll just have to take my word for it: they’re very cool. Or contact the studio and the network and ask them: What’s the hold up?" — Joseph Mallozzi (May 22, 2009)

"Lots to watch at work these past few days: The Time dailies ... Rob Cooper has been doing a terrific job directing. Time looks fantastic. Quite the trip, this one. Speaking of terrific – I should make special mention of both David Blue and Brian J. Smith who deliver outstanding performances in this episode. Heartbreaking stuff." — Joseph Mallozzi (May 27, 2009)

"The quiet suspense of today’s shipboard mystery was in marked contrast to the gloomy, dank, heavy ordnance-laced mayhem of the preceding days. And it’s just as well. My teeth are still chattering from the M5 barrage that lit up the shadows of Stage 1 the last time I dropped in. Yes, some delightfully creepy goings-on in Time (a Robert C. Cooper joint that completed shooting yesterday) that will no doubt look all the more delightful and creepy once the episode is finished. By all indications, the cast enjoyed themselves immensely – particularly actor Jamil Walker Smith who was reveling in the cold, wet, and muddy conditions. Now, we shift focus from the dark and dangerous alien environment of Time to the shocking discovery and troubling developments presented in Justice." — Joseph Mallozzi (May 29, 2009)

"After lunch today, we sat down and watched the director’s cut of Time. Hoowee! What a ride! Great script, great direction, and great performances all around make this one of the stand-out episodes of what has thus far been an overwhelmingly solid first season line-up. A special shout-out to David Blue (who wasn’t on set when I swung by this afternoon to congratulate the actors on a job well done) for a performance at turns humorous, commanding, and touching. And, of course, an extra-special congrats to Robert C. Cooper who wrote, directed, and produced the episode." — Joseph Mallozzi (June 10, 2009)

Major D. Davis writes: "Questions for Ashleigh: What episode of SGU( Filmed or yet to be filmed) are you most excited about?" Ashleigh: "Once I read the script for “Time” and saw the jungle come to life, it was pretty amazing seeing the process happen." — Ashleigh's Q&A on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog (June 19, 2009)

"Anyway, when production got underway on Stargate: Universe, I was most impressed with many of the choices David [Blue] made as an actor. He would deliver a line in just such a way or add a certain look or bit of business that had the producers smiling if not laughing out loud every time we screened dailies. Yes, very early on we established that David had great comic timing and that, as the overwhelmed Eli Wallace, he would serve as the point person for many viewers who will connect with his fish-out-of-water character and experience the dangers, adventures, and far-flung journey of discovery through him. Yet, as the season progressed, David was challenged, his dramatic range tested, and he delivered every time – to the point where, now, some of his more heartfelt moments (ie. Time) stand as some of my favorites. Yes, he can do funny. And he’s proven that he can do touching. But can he bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies? That’ll be his next challenge." — Joseph Mallozzi (June 29, 2009)

"Is there a zombie aspect? No, but we do all die. It's a very interesting episode written by Robert called "Time," where they go to another planet, and when they get there, they find one of these alien balls. They find footage on it, and they are all dying on it. And that's where the teaser ends." — Robert Carlyle, io9 interview (July 26, 2009)

"Oh, and if you’re wondering, the third episode in my personal Triumvirate of Terrificness is Time (Episode #9) – a Rob Cooper Joint. Freaky, fun, and very clever. More than any other episode (outside of our premiere of course), I anxiously await the fan reaction to this one." — Joseph Mallozzi (July 28, 2009)

"David Blue dropped by the offices today to chat character development with Carl and I. We talked about Eli as the grounding force who’ll offer the fish-out-of-water perspective many of the viewers can relate to. Despite some early fan suggestions that Eli will be little more than a Junior McKay, the truth is that, aside from the fact that they are both geniuses, the two characters don’t have that much in common. In fact, if one were to compare Eli to past characters from the franchise, the one he lines up closest with – and thank you, Carl, for pointing this out – is O’Neill. Yes, similarities to Jack, certainly in his sense of humor, but more cautious, less sure off himself – charitable, enthusiastic, thoughtful, and extremely loyal. Oh, and incredibly likable. Of course a lot of that (if not all of the aforementioned character attributes) stems from David’s wonderful performance. I knew he was good when we hired him yet he’s managed to even surpass those lofty initial expectations. His turn in Time still leaves me shaking my head in amazement." — Joseph Mallozzi (August 12, 2009)

Joseph Mallozzi included pictures of the jungle set in his August 19, 2009, entry, captioning the group, "Today, I leave you with some pics from the Interior for Exterior jungle set."

"After lunch, we all sat down (or rather remained seated) to watch a Day 1 Mix of Time (a Rob Cooper joint) complete with creepy as hell visual effects (kudos to Mark Savela and his team). How creepy? Well, there’s one point in the action that always sends Ashleigh scurrying off down the corridor in horror. Mission accomplished! Time has the look and feel of a big screen feature and stands as my favorite episode of the season. So far." — Joseph Mallozzi (October 5, 2009)

"'Time' was a blast to shoot and I think is gonna be one of the coolest ep. of the season! Can't wait to share that one!!" — Elyse Levesque, Twitter (October 5, 2009)

"Time: To those asking 'When are we going to have our next alien encounter?' – be careful what you wish for because this episode provides the answer in creepy, mind-bending style. As producer on the show, I watch the individual episodes so many signs I’m honestly well weary of them by the time that final mix comes around. Time, however, is an exception. This is one of those rare episodes I’ll actually watch when it airs. Fantastic – but not for the faint of heart or weak of mind. As my second grade teacher Mrs. Vowels used to say: “Put on your thinking caps” because this one could bruise your brain." — Joseph Mallozzi (November 5, 2009)

Joseph Mallozzi dedicated his November 13, 2009, blog entry to "Time" images and production notes.